Need Instructions

A place where beginners can participate, ask questions, and post their views. However, beginners typically ask a lot of questions about sources, tricks, books, and so on. In fact, all magicians are interested (or should be) in the provenance of tricks, ideas, and related matters. This department will service these needs.
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Rennie
Posts: 966
Joined: January 23rd, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Manteca, California

Need Instructions

Postby Rennie » July 7th, 2019, 12:00 pm

Need instructions. I have the following packet tricks with no instructions,
1 - Strange Travelers by Paul Harris
2 - Gamble Amble not sure of creator
3 - Color Blind I believe Emerson & West
4 - Eye Doctors Dilemma not sure of creator
5 - Time Out by Phil Goldstein
6 - Twisting the Aces by Nick Trost

If anyone can help with these I would really appreciate it, I will pay any shipping or handling charges.
Thanks,
Rennie
The effect is the important thing, how you achieve is not !!

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Richard Kaufman
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Joined: July 18th, 2001, 12:00 pm
Favorite Magician: Theodore DeLand
Location: Washington DC
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Re: Need Instructions

Postby Richard Kaufman » July 7th, 2019, 12:13 pm

Gamble Amble = Lou Tannen (though I believe it's actually George Sands' "Super Optical Illusion" from Hugard's).
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Q. Kumber
Posts: 1851
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Favorite Magician: Tom Whitestone

Re: Need Instructions

Postby Q. Kumber » July 7th, 2019, 1:36 pm

George Sands is one of the most underrated magicians in magic. His books are full of solid commercial material covering a wide range of magical disciplines. I only discovered a few years ago from Jeff McBride that George had developed and performed a full routine with a pocket handkerchief, that ended up with making a mouse. When I met him in 1994, I showed him my routine and he never even mentioned that he had already developed something similar. He did show me a great tip with the stretching handkerchief that Blackstone Snr had done. I wish I had known of his routine when mine was taped by Vic Pinto in 1999.

My first encounter with George was through his balloon books which gave me the idea of pitching them in department stores at Christmas. Even his balloon books showed that he didn't think in terms of just single tricks, but complete routines and/or complete acts. His Ropesational routine found its way into the repertoires of many professional magicians and many versions since haven't acknowledged his input.

What prompts this post is that his Super Optical Illusion was the basis for Oliver McKenzie's My Drink Trick that became very popular in the UK. Both Paul Daniels and Ken Brooke described it as the best packet card trick ever. I suspect the McKenzie version and Gamble Amble are pretty much identical. It was also the basis for Mo Howarth's Chinese Poker put out by Ken Brooke.

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erdnasephile
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Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm

Re: Need Instructions

Postby erdnasephile » July 7th, 2019, 3:18 pm

Eye Doctor's Dilemma was put out by Stan Allen's "The Magic Magic Shop" in Los Alamitos, CA in the 70's. (It was one of the original releases by the shop, along with "Hole-some")

You might try contacting Stan, Brad Burt, Michael Weber, Randy Pryor or one of the other former Mystics (I'm sorry, I can't recall how the trick was supposed to go, and I'm trying to hunt down my old copies of the shop newsletter to see if I can find the ad so at least you'd know the effect.).

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erdnasephile
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Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm

Re: Need Instructions

Postby erdnasephile » July 7th, 2019, 3:50 pm

OK, found the newsletters:

Originally, Aldini's Eye Doctor's Dilemma came out in 1974 and sold for $1.00, but none of the ads in the newsletters mentions the exact effect (although one of the newsletters mentions a tip from Pat McLane to use an additional gaffed card to give a better impression of 6 red cards at the start).

I did find this post from the green place: https://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/vie ... pic=634315 It does describe the effect, but I can't independently verify this is correct.

Sorry, I couldn't be more helpful.

(PS: Ooops, the previous post should have read Stan Allen's "The Magic Shop"--fingers got carried away...)

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Mark Williams
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Location: Las Vegas, Nevada

Re: Need Instructions

Postby Mark Williams » July 1st, 2020, 1:06 pm

erdnasephile wrote:OK, found the newsletters:

Originally, Aldini's Eye Doctor's Dilemma came out in 1974 and sold for $1.00, but none of the ads in the newsletters mentions the exact effect (although one of the newsletters mentions a tip from Pat McLane to use an additional gaffed card to give a better impression of 6 red cards at the start).

I did find this post from the green place: https://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/vie ... pic=634315 It does describe the effect, but I can't independently verify this is correct.

Sorry, I couldn't be more helpful.

(PS: Ooops, the previous post should have read Stan Allen's "The Magic Shop"--fingers got carried away...)




I believe it is my post at the Cafe you are referring to. I'll include it here:
Mark Williams wrote:Aldini's "Eye Doctor's Dilemma". Al's trick used Alphabet Cards (Each card having just one letter). When the cards were laid out, they were placed onto the table to resemble an Eye Chart, thus the trick's name.

The original effect had the performer nonchalantly display the backs of the cards (All were red). A duplicate card with a different colored back was then added to the mix. After some byplay, all of the backs changed to the color of the duplicate card which had just been added.



The description Of Aldini's Eye Doctor's Dilemma is indeed accurate. I still own this effect and perform it. I will try to make a video soon and post it here. That way you can see the effect.

Alex Weiner was one of my first mentor's. His Eye Doctor's Dilemma, was one of the first packet tricks, he had me learn. Aldini was a terrific guy, who I still miss...today.

Best Magical Regards,

Mark Williams
Once is Magic...Twice is an Education.


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